Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities In Jails: Recommendations for Local Practice

Authors

Jessica M. Eaglin, Indiana University Maurer School of LawFollow
Danyelle Solomon, Brennan Center for Justice

Files

Description

People of color are overrepresented in our criminal justice system. One in three African American men born today will be incarcerated in his lifetime. In some cities, African Americans are ten times more likely to be arrested when stopped by police. With the national debate national focused on race, crime, and punishment, criminal justice experts are examining how to reduce racial disparities in our prisons and jails, which often serve as initial entry points for those who become entangled in the criminal justice system.

This report, which relies on input from 25 criminal justice leaders, pinpoints the drivers of racial disparities in our jails lays out common sense reforms to reduce this disparity, including increasing public defense representation for misdemeanor offenses, encouraging prosecutors to prioritize serious and violent offenses, limiting the use of pretrial detention, and requiring training to reduce racial bias for all those involved in running our justice system.

Publication Date

2015

Publisher

Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law

City

New York, NY

Keywords

Prisons, jails, racial disparities, ethnic disparities, criminal justice system

Disciplines

Civil Rights and Discrimination | Law | Law and Race | Law Enforcement and Corrections

Comments

The complete report can be downloaded above, or from the Brennen Center for Justice.

Recommended Citation

Eaglin, Jessica M. and Solomon, Danyelle, "Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities In Jails: Recommendations for Local Practice" (2015). Books & Book Chapters by Maurer Faculty. 32.
https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facbooks/32